'25 Portal Thread

[walkenvol]

Wow total meltdown in here tonight. We made OSU at 2 million for a number 2 receiver. We made a heck of an effort for a guy that probably didn’t leave and made OSU go to a pretty insane number.

Get the young guys spring reps and see if you need to add a depth piece or a star then hot spring portal.

Is it possible folks are over inflating the Ohio St receivers other than Smith who is clearly at another level? Most only watched them in the playoffs and their QB was on fire dropping dimes. Nico never threw this season as well as Matthews threw throughout the playoffs which makes receivers look really good.

We have talented receivers, probably not far off from Ohio St minus Smith. We need elite play from our QB to put that talent to full use. Hopefully Nico continues to improve and plays close to his ceiling next season and then our receivers will look elite. No need to panic.

 

[VolInDayton]

I think COVID really messed with expectations of how many players need to already have experience heading into a college football season. Over the last few years we got use to seeing a bunch of 5 and 6 year players. In college football you need second and third year players to play.

The talent on our roster has gotten better. We don't have the gap of talent from the transition to Heupel and the the effects of the recruiting sanctions are less. I'm excited for the composition of the 2025 Volunteers and I'm sure it will change a little after the spring portal window.

 

[NighthawkVol]

I’m not upset that they went all in on Tate because that shows they feel good enough about the room to only target a true difference maker.

They weren’t going for *a* wide receiver, they were going for *the* wide receiver. Big difference.

That's a more succinct way of saying what I was trying to say in my last post. Thanks.

 

[MarcoVol]

I will agree with Matthews being better, I’ve been vocal about that all season.

The part that worries me is hoping Brazzell and the rest of the cast takes the next step.

I get people are hyped over Boo playing offense (myself included) but I’m not expecting him to blow the doors off his first season on offense in this system.

It’s a lot of hope and at the end of the day, that’s fine. Usually we’re on the wrong end of “hope” because time and time again have we seen toward the middle/end of the season posters will say “we should’ve gotten so and so” or “why didn’t we get so and so from the portal” because we have another close game against whoever.

Posters are dumb tho

 

[TrippieRedd]

Posters are dumb tho

Sometimes it will even be the media guys. Haven’t we seen after games some of them say “UT has got to get better” “gotta recruit better”

 

[Jackcrevol]

I think COVID really messed with expectations of how many players need to already have experience heading into a college football season. Over the last few years we got use to seeing a bunch of 5 and 6 year players. In college football you need second and third year players to play.

The talent on our roster has gotten better. We don't have the gap of talent from the transition to Heupel and the the effects of the recruiting sanctions are less. I'm excited for the composition of the 2025 Volunteers and I'm sure it will change a little after the spring portal window.

Playing younger players will benefit going further.

 

[LotteryPick]

Sometimes it will even be the media guys. Haven’t we seen after games some of them say “UT has got to get better” “gotta recruit better”

AP and Hubbs say that stuff but they’re also kind of dumb. Very reactionary and they’re usually the ones that create these hype trains for players that go nowhere.

 

[buffaloblue]

Is it possible folks are over inflating the Ohio St receivers other than Smith who is clearly at another level? Most only watched them in the playoffs and their QB was on fire dropping dimes. Nico never threw this season as well as Matthews threw throughout the playoffs which makes receivers look really good.

We have talented receivers, probably not far off from Ohio St minus Smith. We need elite play from our QB to put that talent to full use. Hopefully Nico continues to improve and plays close to his ceiling next season and then our receivers will look elite. No need to panic.

Agree with this completely.

 

[MarcoVol]

Sometimes it will even be the media guys. Haven’t we seen after games some of them say “UT has got to get better” “gotta recruit better”

Those guys also don’t know what they’re talking about or they’d be coaches and not media guys.

Anyone can armchair QB.

This isn’t supposed to mean every decision Heup makes turns out to be the right one. Just that posters here and the media guys know nothing about building and managing rosters in cfb.

 

[VolInDayton]

Playing younger players will benefit going further.

I had dinner with a NFL scout one evening. It's his believe that this is the weakest draft class they have ever seen. Once you get out of the top end talent there are a lot of very experienced who aren't that talented or too risky due to injury history.

 

[cncchris33]

Wow total meltdown in here tonight. We made OSU at 2 million for a number 2 receiver. We made a heck of an effort for a guy that probably didn’t leave and made OSU go to a pretty insane number.

Get the young guys spring reps and see if you need to add a depth piece or a star then hot spring portal.

"Forcing" OSU to pay an irrational number isn't good for Tennessee, or any other university. It just artificially inflates the values of these players across the board and helps to set the market for WR3s with upside going forward.

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

I think COVID really messed with expectations of how many players need to already have experience heading into a college football season. Over the last few years we got use to seeing a bunch of 5 and 6 year players. In college football you need second and third year players to play.

The talent on our roster has gotten better. We don't have the gap of talent from the transition to Heupel and the the effects of the recruiting sanctions are less. I'm excited for the composition of the 2025 Volunteers and I'm sure it will change a little after the spring portal window.

That's a really good point.

Regular 3rd year juniors don't feel near as old as they used to, because of all them covid grandpappies hanging around.

 

[Jackcrevol]

I had dinner with a NFL scout one evening. It's his believe that this is the weakest draft class they have ever seen. Once you get out of the top end talent there are a lot of very experienced who aren't that talented or too risky due to injury history.

i'm either too dense or too tired to comprehend.

 

[CamVol8]

That camvol8 guy is an idiot
I guess he forgot that Tennessee will improve and get better this offseason and bolstered the line significantly…..

People need to worry more about our safety and CB play then WR

Yup i’m the idiot lol…because heading into a season with 4 receivers who have never played a college snap is a recipe for success. If you see no concern with this and wanna pump sunshine then that’s on you.

 

[Jackcrevol]

This would be a nice Dlineman to go after. Still 2 years to play.
4 star. Top 200 (actually #121) coming out of HS,#9 player in Cali.and #15 nationally at his position.Be a good pickup and help our Dline out tremendously.

Kano just go out and get someone in the porthole, this late?

 

[DarthVol1]

As I posted a few days ago. When Tate doesn't come this place will go nuts.

"Nuts"is quite right, but in a different context. If you look at the complainers, it is a subset of the same 5 to 6 people that come running with their negativity at any opportunity. And it validates my ignore list choices by the fact all of them are already on my list.

I don't know how any of those folks make it through a day if they have this same outlook in their personal lives.

 

[Jackcrevol]

I feel like Marcovol today, y'all up in this thread. Ulysees would be proud.

 

[VolInDayton]

i'm either too dense or too tired to comprehend.

The COVID year and more waivers being granted has increased the supply of college football players. Coaches tend to play the players they trust which are the older more experienced players. The NFL isn't interested in a 24 year old with 3000 snaps but has a low ceiling. For example someone like Pili.

 

[Jackcrevol]

The COVID year and more waivers being granted has increased the supply of college football players. Coaches tend to play the players they trust which are the older more experienced players. The NFL isn't interested in a 24 year old with 3000 snaps but has a low ceiling. For example someone like Pili.

makes total sense, gracias.

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

The COVID year and more waivers being granted has increased the supply of college football players. Coaches tend to play the players they trust which are the older more experienced players. The NFL isn't interested in a 24 year old with 3000 snaps but has a low ceiling. For example someone like Pili.

Stupid covid getting in the scouts' way!

 

[Enki_Amenra]

They should just make NFL players eligible for college if they left early. I'm sure there are some great players that would come back for $1m.

 

[SoilVol]

Osu really gonna fork over 6.5+ million for two players in the same room. Yikes.

While breaking in a new, unproven QB to throw to both of them.

 

[Orange_Crush]

If he wants to improve results in 2025, then he better do what it takes. And please, let’s stop talking about overpaying. We have $$$. It takes one call to a donor or lucrative businessman in Knoxville to get the cash for NIL.

You pay one incoming WR a million dollars, you likely upset the rest of the room and cause bigger problems than you solve. Let's stop acting like VN posters are the last word in multi-multi-million $$$ roster management.

 

[Orange_Crush]

Overpaying isn’t about not having the money, it’s about placing a value relative to the rest of the roster and not going beyond it.

You overpay for an incoming, you'll have to adjust the rest of the roster pay accordingly.

 

[SoilVol]

Grab a depth piece at WR in spring window. Focus on getting a DL for now, like Kano.

I think WR room will be fine. Having a clear-cut #1 would be a nice luxury, but we have WR1 potential out of multiple guys on our roster. One of them will need to step up and be the guy. They all need to be working overtime with Nico this offseason. We do need depth.